Gram polynomials and the Kummer function (Q1270292)

In this interesting paper, the authors investigate the Gram polynomials and deduce a sharp inequality for the Kummer function. Let \(m\geq 1\), and let \(x_j:= -1+{2j-1 \over m}\), \(1\leq j\leq m\) denote \(m\) equally spaced points in \((-1,1)\). Define the discrete inner product \((g,h):= {1\over m} \sum^m_{j=1} g(x_j) h(x_j)\). Fix \(n<m\). Then we may define orthonormal polynomials \(\{\varphi_j\}^n_{j=0}\), called the Gram polynomials, satisfying \((\varphi_j, \varphi_k)= \delta_{jk}\). The authors start with the explicitly known three term recurrence relation for the Gram polynomials, namely \[ \varphi_n(x) =2\alpha_{n-1} x\varphi_{n-1} (x)-{\alpha_{n-1} \over\alpha_{n-2}} \varphi_{n-2}(x)\quad \text{where} \quad\alpha_{n-1}: ={m\over n} \left( {n^2-1/4 \over m^2-n^2} \right)^{1/2} \] and \(\varphi_0 (x)=1\), \(\varphi_{-1} (x): =0\). They introduce the parameters \(\tau:=nm^{1/2}\) and \(t:=\tau-{1\over 2} m^{-1/2}\), and show as \(m\to\infty\), the recurrence relation becomes a differential equation \[ {d\varphi (t)\over dt^2}= \Bigl(t^2- \textstyle {1\over 4} t^{-2}-2 \zeta\Bigr) \varphi(t). \] Here \(\zeta\) is appropriately chosen. The general solution of this equation is given in terms of Kummer's function, and another special function. The Kummer function is used to provide an asymptotic expression for \(\varphi_{n-1} (1-\zeta/m)/ \sqrt{2 \sqrt m}\), as \(m\to\infty\). Then the authors go on to prove a sharp inequality for Kummer's function, which had been conjectured in 1985. More precisely, for \(\zeta\geq 0\), \(x\geq 0\), \(c\geq {1\over 2}\) \(F({1-\zeta \over 2}, c,x)\leq F({1\over 2}, c,x)\) where \(F\) is the confluent hypergeometric function. \(F(a,c,z): =\sum^\infty_{n=0} {(a)_n \over(c)_nn!} z^n.\) The symbol \((a)_n\) is of course Pochhammer's symbol, and the inequality fails for \(c<{1\over 2}\).